NEWS ON POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

The UN General Assembly’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals forwarded to the Assembly its proposal for a set of 17 Goals that consider economic, social and environmental dimensions to improve people’s lives and protect the planet for future generations at the conclusion of the Group’s thirteenth and final session at UN Headquarters on Saturday, 19 July. #action2015

The First UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 23 to 27 June 2014. The newly-established UNEA that brought together over 1,200 high-level participants from government, business and civil society was held under the slogan A Life of Dignity for All.

Ministers and international leaders gathered to address two key sustainable development and environment topics of current international concern.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are currently being formulated by the United Nations and a wide range of stakeholders, will require a step-change in both public and private investment in developing countries, if an estimated annual $2.5 trillion funding gap is to be filled, UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2014 argues.

Private sector contributions will be critical to the realization of the SDGs, the report says.

The Co-Chairs of the General Assembly’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals shared their “zero draft” of goals and targets ahead of the Group’s next session to take place 16-20 June.

The list of 17 proposed Sustainable Development Goals to be attained by 2030 is accompanied by targets that will be further elaborated through indicators focused on measurable outcomes.

A new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) presents the latest social security trends and finds that most people are without adequate social protection. “The case for social protection is even more compelling in these times of economic uncertainty, low growth and increased inequality.

It is also an issue that the international community should embrace prominently in the post-2015 development agenda,” said ILO Deputy Director-General Sandra Polaski.

Young people from more than 1,000 youth organizations have gathered to add their voices to the ongoing discussion about a new global agenda that will succeed the MDGs. “We must invest in youth and ensure that Member States make youth a top priority of the next development agenda, ” UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Ahmad Alhendawi said. See video. #youth2015

With 6.3 billion people expected to live in urban areas by 2050, ECOSOC kicked off a three-day event to look at challenges and opportunities for the sustainable future of cities.

Sustainable urbanization is the focus of the event, which is the first-ever meeting of ECOSOC’s integration segment – a new annual segment on the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development.

Health must be part of the future global development agenda, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan underscored as she outlined a host of issues afflicting millions globally and which impact on efforts to reduce poverty and advance overall well-being.

“Better health is a good way to track the world’s true progress in poverty elimination, inclusive growth and equity,” Chan said at the opening of the World Health Assembly in Geneva.

ndigenous peoples must be a part of the ongoing process to define a global development agenda beyond 2015, United Nations officials said today, calling for explicit assertion of their collective rights as well as the promotion of traditional knowledge to tackle issues such as climate change, as the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opened its 2014 session.

The Global Week of Action from 5-11 May is a mobilization effort to gather 500,000 additional votes for MY World–the the United Nations vote for a better world and the only vehicle for citizens to directly have their say on the next global development agenda. Download the toolkit for action at this link and start sharing with your community today.

#globalvote

With the theme, “Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the post-2015 Development Agenda,” World Press Freedom Day was celebrated on 3 May. Free media, traditional and new, are indispensable for development, democracy and good governance, United Nations officials said at UN Headquarters. Other events celebrated the day around the world, including at UNESCO.

For more follow #pressfreedom

With Member States in the midst of determining the post-2015 development agenda, UN officials stressed that all actors be held accountable and honour their commitments. “Accountability is essential to assess progress and achieve results. This should happen at the national, regional and global levels. All actors, including governments, the UN system, civil society and the private sector, should be accountable for honouring their commitments,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

“Our global strategy must promote sound environmental ethics, and continually emphasize humanity’s interconnectedness with nature,” said UN General Assembly President John Ashe. To commemorate the International Day, the General Assembly is convening an interactive dialogue on “Harmony with Nature”. This year’s Mother Earth Day—observed annually on 22 April—focuses on green cities. Find out how you can participate.

The United Nations Development Group is launching a second round of global dialogues devoted to the means of implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. Close to 50 Member States expressed interest in participating in these multi-stakeholder dialogues.  The dialogues will bolster the UN-led global conversation in which nearly 2 million people have participated.  Get involved today!

At a joint-event of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, Member States took steps towards identifying solutions for mobilizing new and existing development partnerships in the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda. UN leaders stressed the importance of reaching out to all stakeholders among the governmental and non-governmental communities. Official statements and videos of the meetings are available here. Follow updates online using #PGApost2015.

Not up to date on the latest post-2015 happenings? The United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) released its latest issue of ‘The 2015 Post’. In this month’s issue, find updates on the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF), and an expanded list of upcoming post-2015 events.

The 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women concluded with many UN Member States calling for: increased investment towards education and health for women and girls; the acceleration of progress for achieving the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls; and a stand-alone sustainable development goal on gender equality in the post-2015 development agenda.

In addition to supporting acceleration of the MDGs, this year’s Commission on the Status of Women (#CSW58) also aims to give more visibility to women’s rights, empowerment and gender equality in the post-2015 development agenda. In an interview with UN Radio, a representative for an indigenous women’s group in Asia shares important insights on the role of indigenous communities in the post-2015 development agenda.

To build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals beyond the 2015 target date, the United Nations and its partners are employing innovative approaches to facilitate an inclusive global conversation. Learn how in this new video.

The Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals identified 19 focus-areas for sustainable development that could help the international community build on the progress of the MDGs, beyond 2015. From now through 14 March, the World We Want platform invites you to share feedback on the OWG’s focus-areas document. Submissions in the online conversation will be made available to the OWG Co-chairs.

The Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing is responsible for proposing ways to help mobilize the financial resources needed for achieving sustainable development objectives. The Committee is holding its Third Session from 3-7 March, which includes an interactive multi-stakeholder dialogue with NGOs, the private sector and Major Groups. The Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals is holding its Ninth Session from 3-5 March.

Guided by the principle of establishing an inclusive intergovernmental process open to all stakeholders, the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals have successfully identified key focus-areas for building on the progress of the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals, and for addressing emerging global challenges in the post-2015 development agenda. (Note: OWG focus-areas)

The President of the UN General Assembly opened the first of his thematic debates on the post-2015 development agenda, focusing on water, sanitation and energy. “Eradicating extreme poverty is our most urgent priority, sustainable development our guide. Universal access to safe water, sanitation and energy will be critical”, the UN Secretary-General said. The two-day event brings together government officials, civil society and UN leadership.

The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth helped launch a new crowdsourcing initiative for youth to participate in the post-2015 development process. Developed in partnership with UN entities, youth groups and NGOs, ‘The Global Partnership for Youth’ will work to identify youth perspectives and advocate for these to be reflected in the post-2015 development agenda.

The UN Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning, Amina J. Mohammed, addressed a special event for the Fifty-Second Session of the Commission for Social Development. In discussing the post-2015 development process, Amina Mohammed said, “Ours is the first generation with the resources and know-how to end extreme poverty and put our planet on a sustainable development course before it is too late.”

During the eighth Open Working Group (OWG) session at the United Nations, Member States and stakeholders discussed ways to promote such issues as gender equality, biodiversity and governance in the future sustainable development goals. “Almost one productive year has passed in which we have done some deep reflection together, and now we begin crafting a proposal on sustainable development goals,” said the OWG co-chairs.

At an interactive briefing about the post-2015 development agenda, General Assembly President John Ashe and UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson listened to the concerns of a diverse group of global civil society representatives. “You are important contributors to the multilateral system tasked with ensuring that the marginalized and vulnerable of this world are not forgotten,” President Ashe said.

The global consultations for the post-2015 development agenda continue to provide voices and evidence to the post-2015 intergovernmental process.

In a special interview, UNDP shares news about the next round of global consultations facilitated by the UN Development Group (UNDG), the added value of their focus on means of implementation, and how civil society will be able to engage.

UNDP’s new report, Humanity Divided: Confronting Inequality in Developing Countries, reveals that income inequality increased by 11 per cent in 15 countries over the two decades between 1990 and 2010.

Member States at the seventh session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) discussed the role of sustainable cities, sustainable consumption and climate change mitigation within the context of the next international development framework  following the Millennium Development Goals.

The sixth session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) carefully considered how a new set of ambitious development goals are to be achieved in terms of political will, financing, technology, capacity building and partnerships, policies and institutions. Member States also discussed how to improve MDG 8, on the global partnership for development.

The most recent session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on sustained and inclusive growth, industrialization and infrastructure development. As part of its task with preparing a proposal on the SDGs, the 30-member Open Working Group (OWG) of the General Assembly is holding inclusive meetings with major groups and stakeholders on the post-2015 development agenda.

UN-NGLS is pleased to launch the second issue of its Post-2015 Primer Series, focusing on the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a joint statement, United Nations entities urged countries to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda addresses inequalities in access to basic services, such as water and sanitation.

The President of the General Assembly and Government leaders weighed in at the General Debate on how to shape the world’s development strategy for the period after the 2015 target date of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Learn more.

In a new article, the UN Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning shares how the DGs Special Event on 25 September 2013 provides the opportunity to set a course for the post-2015 development agenda. Read more.

For almost one year, over one million people have engaged in 88 national consultations, 11 thematic dialogues and the MY World global survey.

A new report by the UN Development Group presents the findings from the global conversation and outlines some of the ways the UN is engaging with global citizens.

Thousands of young people from all over the world have participated in the ‘Global Youth Summit: BYND 2015’ in Costa Rica.

Youth groups highlighted their priorities to help shape the post-2015 development agenda. Learn more.

 Asia-Pacific declaration on development beyond 2015

Ministers and high-level representatives from Asia and the Pacific have adopted the ‘Bangkok Declaration of the Asia-Pacific region on the United Nations Development Agenda beyond 2015’. The Declaration will be shared as a key regional input to the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals at the General Assembly in September 2013.

In an interview with UN Radio, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning, Ms. Amina Mohamed, summarizes key findings from the latest report of the Secretary-General, titled “A Life of Dignity for All”. Listen here.